


Roles to play

by AngelofDarkness1605



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-30
Updated: 2018-05-30
Packaged: 2019-05-16 05:25:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,670
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14805201
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AngelofDarkness1605/pseuds/AngelofDarkness1605
Summary: Mr. Gold is being harassed and Belle can think of only one way to help him.





	Roles to play

"Thank you so much for today, Miss French," Mr. Gold says as they reach her hotel room. "I can't tell you how much I appreciate your… assistance."

"It's no problem at all," she smiles, inwardly appreciating the sight of him yet more than usual now that it's just the two of them in an abandoned hallway of a luxurious hotel.

"If you change your mind about the compensation I offered..."

"Thank you, but this is more than enough compensation already."

Belle gestures at the splendid venue where Neal and Emma got married today. She doesn't mention however what she enjoyed by far the most about this weekend: spending it at the side of the father of the groom, pretending to be his plus one to keep him safe from the clutches of Regina's half sister.

If only this wasn't her only way of getting a date with him. The fact that he made her presence a business proposal tells her all she needs to know about his feelings for her – or rather, the lack thereof.

"Just let me know if you ever need my... services again," she says, wishing that he'd join her in her room rather than returning to his own on this last night of the magical weekend.

"You wouldn't mind?!" he asks, the spark of hope in his voice evoking similar feelings within her.

"Quite the opposite," she murmurs, leaning in to him despite herself. "You're the best pretend boyfriend I've ever had."

Well, it would have been a whole lot more perfect if he'd done more than hold her hand, place his protective fingers on the small of her back and, on one glorious occasion, lightly kiss her cheek for a grand total of two seconds.

"I  _knew_ it!"

It seems for a moment that her daydreams of Mr. Gold have turned into a nightmare in which Zelena makes an unwelcome appearance. But there's unfortunately nothing imaginary about the other woman as she points an accusing finger at both of them.

"I  _knew_ this was all a trick! You two don't actually love each other!"

There is outright panic in Mr. Gold's eyes when the tall woman stalks towards him, her too intent eyes solely on him.

"I don't know what you're talking about. We are very much together," Belle insists, placing herself between the landlord and Zelena.

"I  _heard_ you talking! Are you actually trying to tell me that you aren't paid for any of this, right after I heard for myself that he was offering you  _compensation_ for being with him?! He is MINE and I'll make sure that..."

"I don't think so," Belle replies fiercely, something close to possessiveness overtaking her when she spots the look on the face of the man she loves. "He is  _mine_ , and what we are up to is no concern of yours."

"If he's yours, why are you talking about  _compensation_ and  _pretending_?!" Zelena shrieks triumphantly.

"Role-play," she replies haughtily, her expression softening immediately when she glances back at Mr. Gold to check his reaction to her improvisation. He is quivering and he nods very, very slightly in response to her unspoken question. "He's the beastly employer, and I am his maid, determined to to uncover the mystery of a layered man who doesn't let anyone close to him."

"You're just saying that because he is  _paying_ you to say that and..."

Words clearly don't persuade the other woman, but with a jolt it dawns on the librarian that actions might just do the trick after all.

She turns back to Mr. Gold, who is looking at her so desperately that she can't try to think of anything else. Not seeing a sign of rejection, she takes a step towards him and caresses his hair, which turns out to be yet softer than she quite frequently imagined it to be.

Only thinking of the content of her plan rather than the reason for it, she leans in to him, looking questioningly at his face.

"Yes," he murmurs quietly, the sound so low and guttural that she entirely forgets that all of this is only an act.

He reaches out for her only to withdraw his hand right before actually touching her. This prompts her to take his hand in her own and brings it to the spot where he just seemed to aim for, placing it firmly on her hip.

The sound he lets out in response is yet lower and louder than before. If she didn't know any better, she'd be  _thrilled_ that he reacts to her like this… but then again, she's hardly thinking clearly right now, and she can't help but reduce the remaining distance between them.

Then  _he_ presses his lips against hers.

Before her mind has fully processed that  _Mr. Gold_  is kissing her, she can't refrain from throwing her arms around him and slanting her lips over his as well.

Then there's nothing but heat and wetness and the heady taste of him, and she doesn't notice that they stumble backwards against the wall behind them, or that Zelena's jaw all but drops to the floor.

There's no doubt in her mind that he must be horrified by this extreme credibility of their ploy, but he isn't letting go of her either and he feels so  _good_  and…

All thoughts not directly relating to him are lost to her when he deepens their kiss, their tongues meeting, and she buries her hands deeply in his hair. Beyond excited to be with the usually untouchable landlord like this, she is more than happy to questioningly pull him yet closer to her.

As a result, he hoists her up and bodily presses her against the wall, allowing her to feel every inch of him and his desire for her. She squeals into his mouth when said inches include ones she particularly never expected to get acquainted with.

When she rubs herself against him, he whimpers into their kiss and, breaking slightly away from her to press his face against the side of her neck. She repeats the action, more firmly, thrilled by the yet stronger reaction she evokes from the usually so very stoic man as he hisses an expletive against her skin.

Mr. Gold abruptly steps away from her however mere seconds later, causing her to stumble in the process. But more than the lack of physical strength keeping her up, it's this sign of rejection itself which has her staggering.

His eyes wide and dark, he doesn't say anything as he stares at her, his breath ragged. Right behind them, she regains her awareness of the third person in the hallway and the murderous expression on her face.

Recalling the one and only reason why she just had by far the best kiss of her life, she has only mild annoyance left for Zelena's continued presence. Spotting his renewed horror when he follows her gaze, Belle reacts solely on instinct, pulling him into her hotel room and locking the door behind her.

Only when a rather disheveled Mr. Gold is standing right next to the bed where she slept last night, it begins to dawn on her what she has done. And yet, she can't help but imagine him reaching out for her, to be swept away by the unassumed depths of his passion once more.

"Thank you, Miss French," he says, stepping away from her and visibly schooling his expression before he lowers his head altogether. "I can't tell you how much it means to me that you… came to my rescue. I am indebted to you forever. There is no way that I can ever repay what you did for me, but if there's ever anything I can do for you, no matter the costs or efforts…"

"I don't want to be indebted to you," she cries out, at the same time inwardly reeling at this generosity from the supposedly infamously uncharitable landlord. "It was… well, it was my  _pleasure_  to do this. There is only one thing I could ask of you, but I don't think it's something you're willing to give. So I won't ask for it, especially not now that you already have to deal with Zelena."

"What would you ask of me?" he whispers, abruptly looking back up at her while stepping towards her.

"Anything?" she asks in return, extending a lightly trembling hand to him.

" _Anything_ ," he breathes, taking her hand in his own to bring it tentatively to his cheek.

She gasps when her palm and fingertips brush against the soft skin of his cheek and the stubble beginning to appear there at this late hour. Especially when he leans into her touch, his eyes fluttering closed.

"Tell me if you want me to stop," she says quietly, not letting herself get deluded by wishful thinking even as the fire within her is rekindled.

"I highly doubt it will come to that when I'm with  _you_ , but I will."

It briefly occurs that maybe, somehow, he wants this as much as she does herself, and that he was convinced that his feelings for her are not welcome, just like she did herself.

But now they are here, together, her legs shaking beneath her as he caresses her hair with his right hand, tender and reverent. He places his left yet more tentatively on her waist, almost as if to anchor himself to her.

"Would you like to do what we just pretended to do?" she asks, resting her own free hand on his chest, right above his wildly beating heart. "Let's let it be  _real_ , this time? No more role-playing?"

" _Yes,_ " he rasps, glancing at her lips before his gaze flies back to her eyes. "No more role-playing. Just  _us_."

"Well then, what are we waiting for?"

They aren't waiting any longer for anything, it turns out, for as soon as she stops speaking, Mr. Gold cups her face in both his hands and kisses her with all the love she dreamed of.


End file.
